Nutritional Must Haves

That old saying ‘you are what you eat’ is so simple, yet so true. The food we put in our bodies has huge implications on our health and wellbeing and with so many choices around us these days, it’s not difficult (or indeed expensive) to be healthy. Just a few tweaks to your diet can reap huge rewards and it doesn’t mean you have to forgo the odd treat now and again. After all what’s life without chocolate?!

Here are some of the foods I work into my week.

• Medjool dates with cashew butter – THIS IS RIDICULOUS and actually unbelievably good for you. I recommend slicing the date lengthways and taking the stone out, then filling with a spoonful of almond butter. Heaven!
• Steamed greens with sesame seeds – grab some seasonal greens and pan fry with a little coconut oil and toasted sesame seeds.  Super easy and makes a brilliant side dish to meat and fish.
• Cashew butter on wholegrain toast – I buy my bread from Gail’s Bakery and like it thick with lashings of cashew butter. Pair with a black coffee for the perfect start to the day.
• Handful of nuts – mixed nuts, pistachios, almonds, walnuts, brazil nuts….all of these are packed with great fats, fibre and omega 3 fatty acids. I like to put them in a snack box and munch on them throughout the day, perfect for a quick energy boost
• Sweet potatoes – switching up white potatoes for these beauties will give you an extra dose of vitamins and are rich in beta carotene which helps to boost our immunity to disease. Depending on the dish, I like to oven bake them or roast them as chips with a dash of olive oil, black pepper and paprika.
• Dark chocolate – a little of what you fancy does you good right? My go to sweet snack is dark chocolate – a few squares with a nice glass of red never fails to hit the right notes.  

Fab healthy snack idea from LA nutritionist Kat Turner.

For more info on FATS go to my blog The Skinny on Fats!

Free Recipes. A taste of the GetSetBody lifestyle!

BREAKFASTS

BLT BREAKFAST TARTINE - 10 mins

By Kat Turner

If you're going with the 'real' option of bacon carry on, if you're going veggie the Tempeh bacon & arugula replace the B & the L in this recipe for a lightened up, vegetarian version of this diner staple breakfast idea.

Ingredients (1 serving)

1 teaspoon of olive oil

1 slice of tempeh bacon Or smoked bacon

1 egg, cooked any way you'd prefer

1 piece of your favorite toast, traditional or gluten-free

2 cherry tomatoes, sliced

¼ cup of arugula

Drizzle of olive oil

Squeeze of lemon juice

Pinch of sea salt & freshly cracked pepper

Cook the bacon in olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat until just crisp then roughly chop. Toss your bacon, tomatoes & arugula with olive oil, lemon juice & salt & pepper.

Top the toast with your egg, however you like it & pile the salad over.

Enjoy immediately.

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BERRY TAHINI SMOOTHIE - 5 mins

By Kat Turner

Tahini is a popular condiment made from ground sesame seeds; it contains loads of calcium, vitamins E and B, and a slew of minerals including phosphorus, lecithin, magnesium, potassium and iron. These benefits combined with the antioxidant powers of berries, and the anti-inflammatory properties of fresh ginger guarantee a fab start to your day.

Ingredients (1 serving) 

1 cup berries of choice, fresh or frozen (I love this one with blueberries!)

2 teaspoons tahini

2 tablespoons greek yogurt

1 small chunk of fresh ginger

1 teaspoon honey

¾ cup coconut water

Small pinch of sea salt 

2-3 Ice cubes

Place all ingredients into your blender and process until creamy and delicious.

Can be stored in a glass jar in your fridge for up to 2 days.

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LUNCH

ASIAN STYLE ZUCCHINI NOODLE SOUP WITH CHICKEN - 15 mins

By Kat Turner

This is a light restorative soup that packs a pick-me-up with bright ginger & lime juice, perfect if you’re feeling under the weather or simply need a little soothing.

Ingredients (1 serving)

1 small zucchini

2 teaspoons of olive oil

½ shallot thinly sliced

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon of minced fresh ginger

Pinch of sea salt

1 ½ cups of chicken stock

Juice of one lime

1 dash of fish sauce (optional)

1/3 cup of shredded leftover cooked chicken 

*Optional garnish: Siracha sauce, fresh sliced jalapeno, shredded cabbage, cilantro, basil

Place a 2-quart pot over medium heat & sweat the shallot, garlic, ginger & salt in the olive oil until the shallot is transparent, stirring often so as not to let the garlic or ginger burn. Pour in the stock & bring up to a simmer, then remove from the heat & stir in the lime juice & fish sauce. Add salt to adjust the seasoning as desired. 

While the soup is simmering, prepare your zucchini noodles. This is most easily done using a “spiralizer” (Benriner is a great brand, purchase online), a kitchen gadget I can’t live without (& I’m not a gadget kind of gal). If you don’t have a spiralizer, no problem! Just carefully slice your zucchini per person the long way into 1/8” planks, & then again slicing the long way, create “noodles” from the planks. Pile the noodles your soup bowl raw then pour the hot soup over, topping with your shredded chicken.

If you like it hot, garnish with a little siracha sauce & sliced jalapeno. Shredded cabbage & herbs add a fresh crunch!

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DINNER

BOLOGNESE & QUINOA STUFFED TOMATOES - 40 mins

By Kat Turner

Another fast & easy way to combine your leftovers into a hearty warm lunch or smaller dinner.

Ingredients (1 serving)

1 large tomato, heirloom if available

¼ teaspoon of fine sea salt

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/2 cup of leftover grass-fed beef Bolognese

¼ cup of cooked quinoa

2 tablespoons of fresh parsley

1 tablespoon of goat cheese

Freshly grated parmesan or pecorino cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Using a sharp paring knife cut a wide hole into the top of your tomato, careful not to cut all the way through, & gently remove the core & tip out any excess seeds & liquid. Sprinkle the sea salt into the cavity of the tomato & rub the outside with the olive oil.

In a small bowl combine the bolognese, quinoa, parsley, & goat cheese then gently stuff this mixture into the tomato. Place the stuffed tomato onto a small parchment lined pan, top with freshly grated parmesan or pecorino cheese & roast for 35 minutes.

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SEARED GOLDEN TEMPEH TRIANGLES - 35 mins

By Kat Turner

I know...its an odd one right!

Tempeh is the protein & calcium rich, savory result of fermenting soybeans that have been pressed onto the shape of a block. In this recipe you’ll maximize flavor by first simmering your tempeh triangles in a light soy broth. I like to make extra to have on hand for salads & snacks.

Ingredients (2 servings)

1 package of tempeh

2 cups of water

1/3 cup of good quality soy sauce or tamari

1 2” piece of fresh ginger, thinly sliced

2 cloves of garlic, smashed

2 sprigs of fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons of olive oil

In a small pot combine the water, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, thyme, & bay leaf & bring up to a simmer.

Meanwhile cut your block of tempeh in half to form 2 squares, then cut each square diagonally into 2 triangles, then slice each triangle down the middle, to create 8 thin triangles. Add these triangles to the broth & gently simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove from the broth & pat the triangles dry (broth may be cooled, strained & reserved for an addition to soups, stews, & braising liquid).

Place a pan (cast iron is perfect if you have it) with your olive oil over medium high heat, once the oil is shimmering work in batches to sear the tempeh on both sides until golden brown & crisp.

Delicious with the Verde Crack Sauce, or simply with a little good quality Dijon mustard.

Garnish with pomegranate seeds if available.

Enjoy with your favorite green salad.

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SNACKS

DARK CHOCOLATE DIPPED BANANA - 5 mins

By Kat Turner

Truly dark chocolate contains high levels of antioxidants and a chemical compound that generates the sensation of “love” in our brains. No wonder it tastes so good!!

Ingredients (1 serving)

½ of a banana, sliced into 1/3rds 

1 ½ ounces of 70% or above dark chocolate, chopped

2 teaspoons of shredded coconut

Place your chocolate into a glass bowl & microwave in 30 second intervals (stirring after each) until it is evenly melted. Alternately you can do this using a double boiler on the stovetop. Dip the banana into the chocolate & sprinkle with the coconut. Enjoy right away or freeze & enjoy later.

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OMNI ANTIPASTO SNACK - 5 mins

By Kat Turner

When that mid-day craving for something salty comes a calling, hit it with this..  

Choose a few ingredients, not too many, about enough for a small handful. Make sure to include a little cheese or meat as a source of protein.

Ingredients (1 serving)

A few small pieces of the following possible

Good quality olives

Artichoke hearts

Roasted red peppers

Cornichon pickles

Cherry tomatoes

Buffalo mozzarella

Parmesan reggiano or pecorino 

Cured meat such as bresola, salami, or prosciutto

Fresh basil

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YOUR DAILY GREEN JUICE 15 mins

By Kat Turner

You don’t need a fancy juicer for this recipe! With a decent blender or a Nutribullet you can enjoy the benefits of refreshing alkalizing green juice too.

Ingredients (1 serving)

1 cup of sliced Persian or English cucumber

1 cup of filtered water

½ of your favorite apple, chopped (core, seeds, skin and all)

½” piece of ginger

Small handful of mint leaves

Small handful of baby spinach

Juice of ½ a lemon

2 ice cubes

Tiny pinch of sea salt

Place all ingredients into your blender and process on high for 1 minute. Strain this mixture through a mesh sieve and enjoy!

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What? Salt is GOOD FOR YOU???

This is one of those bits of info that everyone will love me for. Well not everyone, someone will always rear their head and take issue, BUT FOR THOSE OF YOU who love salt.

You're going to love this.

Sodium Chloride (salt) is actually essential for our bodies to function. Our kidneys have a little machine in them called a potassium/sodium pump, and it can't function without sodium!!!

Our adrenals can't hold their hydration and function properly unless they have adequate sodium.

Our tummies cannot make HydroCHLORIC acid which is essential for digestion without sodium CHLORIDE! HydroCHLORIC acid, Sodium CHLORIDE. See where I'm headed with this??

So why do docs always sell us on the LOW SODIUM, NO SALT diets etc etc…

Well, somewhere along the way of commercial production of salt, the companies that made it only made a small percentage for commercial consumption, the rest was mined and processed for industrial usages of which there are MANY.

One of the steps in processing salt is to disinfect it and in order to do this they would heat it to extremely high temperatures causing the molecule bond of the salt (sodium + chloride or NaCl) to melt together. When you eat this, the body has no idea what it is, and it will treat it like a foreign invader storing it as fat or wrap it in cholesterol to immobilize it OR worse, it will try and use it for it's proper function and wreak havoc on that organ, like the kidneys. Kind of like when you eat bad Chinese food and your hands and feel swell up. Well the kidneys were attempting to use all that salt, but because it was 'garbage' salt it backed up the kidneys and created water retention.

Same goes for clogged arteries. The body is actually trying to do you favor by wrapping the 'garbage' salt in cholesterol and keep it from running amuck in your heart and if you keep eating bad salt, well that bad cholesterol will eventually just clog up those pathways. It's not always the cause of clogged arteries but it certainly doesn't help. That's why docs say to people with heart problems and blood pressure issues, AVOID SALT.  Well I'm not here to tell those people to start eating healthy salt, but I AM HERE to say that if that 'garbage' salt was never consumed in the first place. It may have helped avoid that issue to begin with. 

So what kind of salt should I be eating and if I stop eating table salt where will I get my iodine?

Well it's best to use air-dried sea salts that do NOT have any anti caking agents in it. Even better if you can use Himalayan or Pink Sea Salt. AND EVEN BETTER, the salt that comes in chunks and you can grind yourself as you use it.  These salts tend to be higher in trace mineral content which is AWESOME, and when it isn't already ground you don't have to worry about it having been ground with nickel plated grinders and having shreds of metal shavings in it. Ewww...

As for Iodine, well guess what my friends, we were never meant to get our iodine from salt anyway. They started adding it ARTIFICIALLY to salt in 1924 because people were having deficiencies. Here is a link of a list of foods sources for iodine and a supplement if you are interested. 

http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/iodine-foods/

A good teaspoon of healthy pink salt per day, in food or even down it in a glass of water (blech) is a great way to make sure you are getting enough. And if you sweat as much as I do in a day, well you can increase it! 

My mad nutritionist friend Healthy Gut Girl, Catalina Martone even suggests that parents supplement healthy salt for children because it's all a healthy child really needs as a basis for so many functions in the body. My own daughter is a testament to that fact! 

Hope this sheds light on your day.

Enjoy 

SamX